This invention relates to an apparatus and method of providing food to an animal, using a dish, and keeping the food portion of the dish protected from bugs, ants, and other insects, by a moat filled with water, and the water completely surrounding the food.
It has been customary to feed animals in a feeding dish, and to leave the food in the dish until the animal has finished the food. In some cases, it has been customary to feed the animals at a particular time of day, and the animal soon learns to anticipate this feeding time. If the food is left in the dish for a period of time, and, if there are crawling insects in the area, the insects will invade the food, and most animals will refuse to eat the invaded food.
Several approaches have been provided for keeping the food fresh, and free of these insects, but, with no real answer to the problem of the ants, and crawling insects. Whitty, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,096 teaches a continuous feeder for small animals containing pellet food; however, if left in an environment with crawling insects, this feeder would soon be infested with these insects.
Another approach is taught by Zammarano in U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,874, wherein a food container having a timing mechanism dispenses an amount of food to the animal at pre-determined times. Here, again, crawling insects can penetrate the food supply, causing the animal not to eat the food.
Still another approach to feeding animals over a period of time is taught by Cooper, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,532,075, wherein two separate compartments are taught, with a built in timing mechanism, with the intent of providing food to an animal over a period of time. Here, again, this teaching does not control the presence of the crawling insects, and ants, which contaminate the dish, and the food, and animals will refuse to eat the food.